A few weeks ago, a specific song began running through my head. If I wake up in the middle of the night, there it is. It's a song I haven't heard since I was a kid; it was one of the songs my mother used to sing to us when I was little. I don't know how many other people know about this song. Turns out, it was a big hit by country singer Kenny Roberts in 1949. The song? I Never See Maggie Alone.
My mother went into a nursing home in early October of last year. She had been getting more and more frail for the last several months and her dementia was increasing. My father couldn't care for her any longer, but was at the nursing home every day. My parents celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary on December 1, 2014. The day before, a Sunday, my siblings held a small celebration for them. While we were sitting around the table in the dining room of the nursing home eating cupcakes, my brother began singing. It was a good way to keep my mother, who tired easily, engaged. One of the songs was I Never See Maggie Alone, which I'm sure (not being a country music fan) I haven't heard since I left home to go to college at age 18. I definitely remembered the song and I remembered a lot of the words. My mother died the following Sunday. My last memory of her is having a good time singing with her kids.
Suddenly, last week, that song began running through my head.
The other song that has been competing with Maggie is Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most. I know where that one came from: Tom Reney has been playing it a lot on Jazz à la Mode - being that it's spring and all. I've been spending some time on YouTube listening to the various artists sing this song. Ella Fitzgerald's version is definitely my favorite, but there are some good instrumental versions, also.
When a song that I don't like gets stuck in my head, I have a remedy. I have a favorite Cole Porter song, You Do Something To Me, that I sing. What a great song. It sometime even pops up on its own.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Monday, April 6, 2015
Cataloging, Computers and Cars, or, I can now relax (I think)
It's been a stressful couple of months, but I think things are settling down. I hope this post is not a jinx.
Last fall, I agreed to lead an intensive RDA training. It was a good opportunity for me to delve into the new cataloging rules and finally learn them. It's that thing about teaching what we need to learn, and it works. I've been teaching cataloging and related subjects for close to 30 years, but was very nervous about this workshop. It haunted me. I kept thinking I could learn more and include more. I agonized over the best way to present the material. It was a difficult time for me.
I gave the workshop and it all went well. However, that was not the end of my stress. The night before the workshop, my computer died. All my (and my husband's) material is backed up on Carbonite, so that wasn't the problem. Neither of us could get to any of it, though. I was about to be tied up for two days with the workshop and I couldn't attend to the computer. (I'm the IT person at my house.)
As I said, the workshop went well, but on the way home, my car died. I was about halfway home when I lost my power steering and the battery light came on. I tried to make it to the Subaru dealership, but the battery ran out of charge about 4 miles away. I called AAA and my car was towed to the dealership - Friday evening just as they were closing.
Interestingly, the car is the least of my stress. Though it cost me a good portion of my workshop fee, I knew the car could be fixed. It wasn't much more than an inconvenience.
The computer, however, is a more difficult issue. After agonizing over my options, I bought a new computer. I set aside an entire day to get it set up, install software and download files. After a few glitches (Carbonite tech support is EXCELLENT) things seem to be working, though I kind of hold my breath every time I turn on the computer. I feel vulnerable when it comes to these things. So far, everything seems to be where it's supposed to be.
Saturday and Sunday I got to stay home and just relax. I know it'll be a short one, but I'm very much enjoying this plateau.
Last fall, I agreed to lead an intensive RDA training. It was a good opportunity for me to delve into the new cataloging rules and finally learn them. It's that thing about teaching what we need to learn, and it works. I've been teaching cataloging and related subjects for close to 30 years, but was very nervous about this workshop. It haunted me. I kept thinking I could learn more and include more. I agonized over the best way to present the material. It was a difficult time for me.
I gave the workshop and it all went well. However, that was not the end of my stress. The night before the workshop, my computer died. All my (and my husband's) material is backed up on Carbonite, so that wasn't the problem. Neither of us could get to any of it, though. I was about to be tied up for two days with the workshop and I couldn't attend to the computer. (I'm the IT person at my house.)
As I said, the workshop went well, but on the way home, my car died. I was about halfway home when I lost my power steering and the battery light came on. I tried to make it to the Subaru dealership, but the battery ran out of charge about 4 miles away. I called AAA and my car was towed to the dealership - Friday evening just as they were closing.
Interestingly, the car is the least of my stress. Though it cost me a good portion of my workshop fee, I knew the car could be fixed. It wasn't much more than an inconvenience.
The computer, however, is a more difficult issue. After agonizing over my options, I bought a new computer. I set aside an entire day to get it set up, install software and download files. After a few glitches (Carbonite tech support is EXCELLENT) things seem to be working, though I kind of hold my breath every time I turn on the computer. I feel vulnerable when it comes to these things. So far, everything seems to be where it's supposed to be.
Saturday and Sunday I got to stay home and just relax. I know it'll be a short one, but I'm very much enjoying this plateau.
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